When one takes stock of the different kinds of flooring that was patronised by Indian homes, palaces, temples and public places, it is not very difficult to see that it has come a long way from eco-friendly mud floors wiped over with cow dung to the polished granite floors of this day.
A visit to the few remaining buildings of yesteryears will show that cement flooring polished with red or green oxides have an old world charm of their own. The terracotta tile flooring give that cool feel in the real sense of the word and the mosaic flooring lends the sensation of a no nonsense utility value. The unpolished granite flooring in temples and public places like hospitals, libraries among others are proof that they can withstand the onslaught of time with minimal or no damage.
The first thing that invariably catches your attention while entering a building or a home is the flooring. Hence it is very important that you should spend some valuable time deciding on the kind of tiles that you plan to have for your floor.
Of late highly polished granite tiles, ceramic tiles and marble tiles are favoured by builders and owners of buildings and homes for that genteel look.
There are several reasons attributed to this choice. For one thing they are eye catching, elegant and lend that look of sophistication with great ease. They come in a variety of colours, sizes and shapes. If you are innovative it will not be difficult to mix and match two or three shapes in contrasting or blending shades and create your own unique flooring. Dealers of these tiles assure us that once these tiles are laid after being checked for fissures they will last for more than a lifetime. Since people recognise these floorings to be an investment of once in a lifetime they do not mind spending a fortune on the flooring. Even old buildings are currently opting for these shiny floorings and are gladly willing to undergo some inconvenience as the new tiles are being laid. Builders and architects have said that their clients do not believe in penny pinching as far as the floorings of their buildings are concerned. In fact many of them do not mind spending on brass beadings to bind the tiles together which reflects a royal look in a very subtle manner.
It will be foolish to deny that all these factors do contribute to a great décor to your premises, but all the same it is important to take stock of the flipside of the issue.
Many a time buyers are conned into buying at least a couple of cracked tiles which are temporarily set right, then there are several cases where the tiles handled improperly develop abrasions and cracks. The customer pays up enormous amounts for flawed goods and there is nothing much that he can do about it because replacing damaged tiles cannot be carried out in a very precise manner as it will turn out to be detrimental to the good tiles around.
Users of these floors will readily agree that these finely polished floors make the hurried users skid. Hospital records of blood concussions, slip discs, major and minor fractures and sprains are mostly a direct result of these treacherous floors.
People who have these types of flooring will assure you that they are very susceptible to scratches and careless movement of furniture or even a muddy sole of your footwear can make scratches not to mention that the damage is irreversible.
Besides these floorings need constant care for the slightest dirt or stain will show immediately on the floor. Though this feature helps in maintaining a very commendable standard of cleanliness, the process of cleaning can get very cumbersome especially in individual homes with children.
If you have experienced any of these problems here are a few practical solutions to your problem.
You could fix stainless steel or brass railings along the walls in a tasteful manner if you have senior citizens at home to avoid unpleasant accidents.
Floor mats and carpets could be spread to make the walking at home safer.
You could place the furniture on the carpet or elegant looking mats in places of your choice to avoid making scratches on the floor.
If you happen to be in the process of changing your flooring to the highly polished variety you can reconsider your choice. If you still nurture an urge to have the much coveted flooring in your place, please use your discretion and lay those beautiful tiles just in the living area of your home. After all there is no point in bolting the stables after the horses have bolted.